The Great Gatsby

Making films is an art. Making fashion is an art. Combining the two can often be ground-breaking. The following movies (in no particular order) are some of my favourite costume movies which have drawn out an inaudible sigh from my mouth before I fainted in awe:

Moulin Rouge!

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In addition to having, in my opinion, one of the best costume designs, it is also one of the best musical movies of all time. Catherine Martin designed the costumes for this dazzling Baz Lurhmann film, so it really was a joint effort in making this film as visually appealing as it is.

There are Can Can skirts, sequinned corsets and magnificent head pieces. There are top hats, tinkerbell, and dangerous absinthe. I would not be able to pinpoint exactly which one of Satine’s outfits (played by Nicole Kidman) I love the most, so please don’t ask. However, if I had to suggest favourites, I would say the silver glittery outfit worn in ‘Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend’, and the Hindi wedding dress. Oh, how I long to play dress-ups with her costumes!

I even had a crack at one of her outfits for my last birthday!

The Great Gatsby

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Another Baz Luhrmann creation accompanied by the enchanting costume powers of Catherine Martin. The Great Gatsby exudes a tasteful level of flamboyance and class with the amazing costume designs. The men looked dapper and the ladies were flappers, representing the economically prosperous and carefree times of the roaring 20’s.

Like Moulin Rouge, this film was a pleasure to watch for the costumes alone, and not just for Leo D’s breathtaking facial structure. Any costume with a dropped waist and intricate embroidery is a yes from me.

The Devil Wears Prada

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The most satisfying part of this film is watching Andrea undergo her style transformation, and it is satisfying for several reasons. First we realise that under her cerulean-jumper-wearing-grandma-skirt-loving self, she finally succumbs to the wraths of the fashion industry and is smart enough to take advantage of the designer-filled wardrobe available to her. She also looks super hot. Then she learns what an eye-lash curler is under embarrassing circumstances, and the audience acknowledges that this is the beginning of some pretty fabulous outfits. Who doesn’t love the scene where it shows her in different outfits as she cooly struts to work in the mornings?

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

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Set in the London prior to World War II, a somewhat destitute governess, Miss Pettigrew stumbles into the tempestuous world of high society. Wealth, the 1930’s, and romance equals classic fashion. Amy Adams shines in her role as a singer-actress and appears admirably elegant through-out the movie. She showed me that matching hats and gloves are the ultimate way to achieve style.

Cinderella

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Unfortunately I wasn’t a fan of the movie itself, but I appreciated the costume designs immensely. It was colourful, flamboyant and exciting to look at. Cate Blanchett looked flawless in every scene and Cinderella’s ball scene almost made me cry with anticipation. The men’s distractingly tight pants brought some giggles. If it wasn’t for the overload of corniness, I would have fallen in love with the film. If I could rock a poofy blue dress as well as she could, I most definitely would.